Zen koan of the day - Chao Chou Lets Donkeys Cross, Lets Horses Cross

Chao Chou Lets Donkeys Cross, Lets Horses Cross

A monk asked Chao Chou, "For a long time I've heard of the stone bridge of Chao Chou, but now that I've come here I just see a simple wooden bridge."

Chou said, "You just see the wooden bridge; you don't see the stone bridge."

The monk said, "What is the stone bridge?"

Chou said, "It lets donkeys cross, it lets horses cross."

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dcj commentary: What he had heard led him to expect something different from what he saw.